System for enterprise knowledge management and automation

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system for managing business knowledge expressed as statements, preferably sentences using a vocabulary, where such statements may be automated by the generation of programming language source code or computer program instructions. As such, the present invention also manages software design specifications that define, describe, or constrain the programming code it generates or programs with which it or the code it generates is to integrate. The present invention facilitates the creation of composite sentences. In one embodiment, the present invention also interprets a composite sentence as a logical formula in first order predicate calculus or similar logic formalism supporting conjunction, disjunction, and negation as well as existentially and universally quantified variables. The invention further interprets natural language, including singular common count noun phrases and connectives, as variables in formal logic. Further, the invention then implements the logical interpretations as rules.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for creating a sentence in a natural language understanding interface, said method comprising:
 providing, by a computer system, at least one base sentence; 
 providing, by said computer system, at least one condition; 
 providing, by said computer system, at least one connective; 
 appending, by said computer system, said at least one base sentence to said at least one connective; and 
 appending, by said computer system, said base sentence and connective to said at least one condition to create a composite sentence, 
 wherein said composite sentence is an object in a natural language understanding interface. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said condition is either an antecedent condition or a consequent condition. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein said condition is a consequent condition, and wherein said consequent condition further comprises an antecedent condition. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 interpreting, by said computer system, said composite sentence as a logical formula in a logic formalism supporting conjunction, disjunction, negation, and variables. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said logic formalism comprises first order predicate calculus. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said variables comprise existentially and universally quantified variables. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said composite sentence comprises natural language, said method further comprising:
 interpreting, by said computer system, said natural language, including singular common count noun phrases and connectives, as variables in formal logic. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said interpreting comprises implementing logical interpretations as rules. 
     
     
       9. A system for creating a sentence in a natural language understanding interface, said system comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 provide at least one base sentence; 
 provide at least one condition; 
 provide at least one connective; 
 append said at least one base sentence to said at least one connective; and 
 append said base sentence and connective to said at least one condition to create a composite sentence, 
 wherein said composite sentence is an object in a natural language understanding interface. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein said condition is either an antecedent condition or a consequent condition. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said condition is a consequent condition, and wherein said consequent condition further comprises an antecedent condition. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 interpreting, by said computer system, said composite sentence as a logical formula in a logic formalism supporting conjunction, disjunction, negation, and variables. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein said logic formalism comprises first order predicate calculus. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12 , wherein said variables comprise existentially and universally quantified variables. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 9 , wherein said composite sentence comprises natural language, and said processor is further configured to:
 interpret said natural language, including singular common count noun phrases and connectives, as variables in formal logic. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein said processor configured to interpret said natural language is further configured to implement logical interpretations as rules. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for a computer system, said non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions executable by a processor for creating a sentence in a natural language understanding interface, said series of instructions comprising:
 instructions that cause said processor to provide at least one base sentence; 
 instructions that cause said processor to provide at least one condition; 
 instructions that cause said processor to provide at least one connective; 
 instructions that cause said processor to append said at least one base sentence to said at least one connective; and 
 instructions that cause said processor to append said base sentence and connective to said at least one condition to create a composite sentence, 
 wherein said composite sentence is an object in a natural language understanding interface. 
 
     
     
       18. The machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein said condition is either an antecedent condition or a consequent condition. 
     
     
       19. The machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein said condition is a consequent condition, and wherein said consequent condition further comprises an antecedent condition. 
     
     
       20. The machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , said series of instructions further comprising:
 instructions that cause said processor to interpret said composite sentence as a logical formula in a logic formalism supporting conjunction, disjunction, negation, and variables.